Surfer Carlos Burle may have broken big wave record in Portugal

Mike Krumboltz

Brazilian surfer Carlos Burle may have smashed the big wave record when he caught a massive wave at Nazare off the coast of central Portugal on Monday.

FBI agent Johnny Utah of "Point Break" fame would be proud.

The previous big wave record, set by Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara in 2011, was a 78-foot swell at Nazare. Early estimates, according to Surfer Today, have Burle's wave at around 100 feet tall.

It wasn't coincidence that Burle was in Nazare. Surfer Today reports that he and a small crew had traveled to Portugal with the goal of topping McNamara's mark.

And make no mistake, it was dangerous. Burle caught his wave shortly after he helped save fellow surfer Maya Gabriel, who had nearly drowned trying to catch a wave, CBS News reports.

"It was luck. We never know when we will be catching the wave. I still hadn't surfed any wave and everyone had already had their rides. Maya almost died. For me, it was a big adrenaline moment to get back there after what happened," Burle, 45, told Surfer Today.

Monday's wave will be analyzed by the good folks at Guinness World Records to see if it qualifies as a record-breaker.

While we aren't experts, we do recommend that Guinness also investigate the waves at Waimea, bro. Word is that Nazare has nothing on 'em.